SharePoint - Any point in doing external farm backups?

[VanillaMastermind]

If Veeam is working well for me for SharePoint backups, is there any reason to have any external backup processes such as a farm backup directly within SharePoint. I read quite a few SharePoint backup papers, and it's still not clear to me if having the Veeam image backups and app-aware processing on all farm servers is actually backing everything I need up.

[PTide]

Hi,

I'm going to quote our system engineer's recommendations on how it would be better to backup SP farm using Veeam:

<...>In most of the situations a backup of all servers nearly at the same time can be used for DR, but as this is not the way SP want´s it there can be situations where this do not work. It is a very good idea to have a SP config backup for this reason to reset internal counters. It is very important to use SureBackup there to test if the SP service comes up!!!!

Also please check this article to get some extra insight on the topic.

Thanks

[VanillaMastermind]

<...>In most of the situations a backup of all servers nearly at the same time can be used for DR, but as this is not the way SP want´s it there can be situations where this do not work. It is a very good idea to have a SP config backup for this reason to reset internal counters. It is very important to use SureBackup there to test if the SP service comes up!!!!

So what exactly does he mean by an "SP config backup"?

[Andreas Neufert]

You can restore the configuration of sharepoint by the following:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lib ... 28326.aspx

Tips and Tricks... even unsupported ones that work in the field can be as well found at the following Microsoft Website:
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mossbi ... snapshots/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mossbi ... ts-part-2/

[VanillaMastermind]

So in addition to the application-aware processing of all SharePoint servers, at an absolute minimum, I should be backing up the farm configuration up as well. Does Veeam recommend a simple PowerShell script to do this, such as

Code: Select all

Backup-SPFarm –ConfigurationOnly  -Verbose –Directory “C:\Backups\ConfigOnly” –BackupMethod Full

[Andreas Neufert]

I would do it... yes

1) Create a script with

Code: Select all

Backup-SPFarm –ConfigurationOnly -Verbose –Directory “C:\Backups\ConfigOnly” –BackupMethod Full

and add it as Pre Script to the correct SP VM in a Backup Job (InGuest Processing Pre Script)
2) Add all SP Server to the Veeam Job and provide enough Proxy Ressources that mainly all SP Servers are backed up in the same time. Schedule SP Job when no other jobs are running. Enable InGuest Processing for all of them and as well enable SQL Logfile Backup (every 30min?) and LogTruncation.

As by limitation of Sharepoint in case of Image Level Backups I would do traditional Sharepoint Backups (Backup-SPFarm) on top from time to time, just to be on save side.

But these are not "official" Veeam recommendations, just my way of understanding Sharepoint. Maybe Microsoft will hear the market some soon time and implent a command that can bring all SP servers to a consistent state at same time (Enhanced VSS Freamework accross servers).

[Andreas Neufert]

As well an other option is if your business allow it, you can hold on the sharepoint service for the backup window as descibed here:
in the above Microsoft Blog.

[Andreas Neufert]

And just to be clear, if you have all componenents on a single Sharepoint Server, you do not need any extra streps. Just enable InGuest Processing and SQL Logfile Backup within the Veeam Job.,

[fringie]

I have read and understand the basics on using Application Aware when backing up Sharepoint.
In our Sharepointinstallation we have three serverers.
Server 1 - Sharepoint Database
Server 2 - Front End
Server 3 - Sharepoint Services

At the point I don't have much more info on the servers, they are installed by an external company and they are to deliver documentation on the setup.

Do I add application aware on all the servers or just some of them?

Regards
Freddie

[DGrinev]

Hi Freddie and welcome to the community!

Please, review this existing discussion above about how to back up Sharepoint farms, as there are a few tips & tricks.
Application-aware processing should be enabled for all three servers.

Thanks!

[fritzsche]

Hi there,

How can we Backup a virtual Sharepoint Server with its SQL DB is Hosted on a physical Server?

Greetings Jens